Chapter 124 If you can't find a house, you should be given a way to survive.
Compared to the uproar caused by Yao Xiaoyu's previous novels, "Yang Shunxin's Medical Practice" was relatively calm. However, this does not mean that it was unpopular. On the contrary, Yang Shunxin's story is Yao Xiaoyu's best-selling work to date.
In this era of slow information flow, the interesting and fun "100,000 Whys" series is a veritable child trap. When Yao Xiaoyu went out shopping, she often saw children holding adults' hands, clamoring to buy novels and daily newspapers, not to mention the astute businessmen and women confined to their homes...
Compared to his previously precisely targeted customer base, Yang Shunxin's approach was indiscriminate and comprehensive. However, for certain reasons, the newspapers didn't publish much related information, which allowed him to quietly amass wealth. Whenever Yao Xiaoyu visited the Novel Daily, she was treated like a star.
Editor-in-Chief Bei is a woman of great vision. When newspaper sales increase and the newspaper's profits rise, the entire editorial department will receive bonuses. No one would turn down money, so they'd be eager to curry favor with the Goddess of Wealth!
As the weather gradually warmed up, Yao Xiaoyu ordered several sets of light and thin clothes from a poor tailor. She didn't know what kind of material they were made of, and they weren't cheap, but they were comfortable to wear and not hot, and they wouldn't attract attention when worn out. Overall, Yao Xiaoyu was quite satisfied.
"Where did you order these clothes? I'll go buy a few more later."
Maria fanned herself with a palm-leaf fan that didn't suit her style, looking at the carefree Yao Xiaoyu with a hint of resentment. Her financial situation wasn't bad either, so why wasn't she as comfortable as Yao Xiaoyu?
"I can't say, but you can give me the size and the effect you want, give me the money, and I'll bring the clothes back for you."
The Stitching House only serves regular customers; it's a safe haven for all the poor. Dr. Maria's appearance is too conspicuous, so it's unlikely she'd be entertained if brought along.
The poor embroiderers value business, but they value secrecy even more. Yao Xiaoyu sometimes doesn't even know how they make a profit. They probably have their own methods. After the New Year, there's another embroiderer.
"Okay, this awful weather is really annoying."
Maria, taking advantage of the fact that the three women in the room were all acquaintances, casually lifted her skirt to expose a section of her calves to cool off. Yao Xiaoyu and Tao Xiaoxiao kept their eyes down, pretending not to see it.
"Is there a suitable house available?"
Yao Xiaoyu brought up the old story again. Ever since she met the middleman who sold his wife and daughter, Yao Xiaoyu had given up her policy of diversifying her relationships. Everyone she could talk to asked her to help her find a house, but because she was just an ordinary rich girl except for her reputation as a "little fish," she still hadn't found a suitable house.
It's not a problem with the housing stock; it's that these houses all require powerful and influential people to maintain control. Yao Xiaoyu is very worried about this, but fortunately, there's still plenty of time for her to find some bargains.
If all else fails, Yao Xiaoyu plans to rent a house at a high price before the war arrives, sign a long-term contract of three to five years, buy some guns and weapons on the black market, hire some bodyguards, and ask Tao Jingu for some people she knows well to provide cross-protection. With enough money, she refuses to believe that she can't set up a safe house!
"Hard to find."
Maria didn't see the ruthlessness in Yao Xiaoyu's eyes. The doctor frowned and sighed. There are plenty of houses in this world, but Yao Xiaoyu is just a writer with some fame. Without a government position, she can't keep the house she buys. She just can't find a suitable one.
"There are a few places that aren't in the concessions..."
Maria hesitated before speaking, but Yao Xiaoyu immediately shook her head vigorously, showing no intention of even considering it.
"It has to be inside."
Concessions were chains of shame, but in this era, they were also one of the few relatively safe places in China when war broke out. It sounds ridiculous, but it is what is happening now.
We live in an era of full-scale Western invasion. Foreign things are good, foreign culture is wonderful, and every country can take a jab at China. To give the most absurd example, Indian horse hoof soil is sold in China for five taels of silver per tael, making it the most expensive on the market.
That's India!
"I don't care about the size or the appearance of the house; I can rebuild it myself."
The Yao family only has six people in total. Even if there is only one room, they can simply put three bunk beds in it. The key is that the house must be in their own hands. No matter how much preparation they make, they may still be evicted if they rent a place. Moreover, rents are soaring during wartime, while the value of silver dollars is depreciating. Yao Xiaoyu does not want to make this choice unless absolutely necessary.
Yao Xiaoyu earnestly emphasized her bottom line to Maria. If she really wanted to live outside, she might as well squeeze in with Tao Jingu. This girl repaired her own house while she was repairing the factory. It was fully equipped with a toilet and lights. She even found a thousand-piece canopy bed somewhere. She was living a very leisurely life!
"Okay, I'll try my best to help you."
Maria sighed, and instead of trying to persuade Yao Xiaoyu to lower her standards, she turned around, took out a box, and pushed it towards Yao Xiaoyu.
"It was sent by the young master of the Li family, who said he would invite you to their birthday party."
The Li family has now been initially transferred to the hands of the three golden flowers. Since the current head of the family is still shouldering the main responsibility, the three sisters can only be called young masters, but they are also the objects of many people's desire to curry favor with them - the three have already spread the word that they are looking for sons-in-law.
"Hasn't the favor already been repaid?"
Yao Xiaoyu asked in confusion, casually opened the box, and then slammed it shut—putting aside the invitation, what's with the clothes and headdress inside?
The favor Yao Xiaoyu mentioned was the ginseng left by Lin Lang—last year, around the time of the Lunar New Year, the third young lady of the Li family was very ill. Most of the doctors in Shanghai were invited to see her. She tried Chinese medicine, Western medicine, and even penicillin, but her condition worsened day by day.
Seeing their younger sister barely breathing, the two older sisters were frantic with worry. They tried every possible method, and finally, with the doctors' financial resources and assurances that they wouldn't pursue the matter, they jointly prescribed a potent formula. All the expensive medicinal herbs were gathered, except for a prepared ginseng as a medicinal guide.
Shanghai has no shortage of ginseng, but the old doctors with more beards than hair kept nagging and couldn't find a suitable one. This forced the Li sisters to not only contact people around in private, but also advertise in the newspaper to find a medicinal ingredient. Yao Xiaoyu didn't take it seriously at first, but later she saw the ginseng that Lin Lang gave her and chuckled, saying that it grew according to the standard!
The ginseng was a token of Lin Lang's goodwill, and it shouldn't be given away casually. However, the three golden flowers were the backbone of the textile workers' treatment. Yao Xiaoyu secretly went to see the rescued bonded laborers. Although they complained about how hard the work was, their faces were rosy and their hands were fleshy. They didn't tremble when they walked, and it was clear that they were living a good life.
A good person who can give others a way to survive should also have a way to survive themselves.
Yao Xiaoyu initially wanted to send the ginseng directly to the Li family mansion, but money is a powerful motivator, and the line for offering ginseng at the gate was incredibly long. After thinking for a moment, Yao Xiaoyu turned to Maria and used her to hand over the medicinal ingredient without asking for any money. The Li family mansion was indeed very wealthy, but Yao Xiaoyu already had more money than she could spend.
Within a few days of the ginseng being delivered, the third young lady of the Li family showed signs of improvement. However, the Li family made no comment until "Back to the Ming Dynasty" was about to be used as a case study. The three sisters joined forces to make it seem like a child's ignorant play, thus saving Yao Xiaoyu from a major disaster.
Yao Xiaoyu was very careful when writing "Back to the Ming Dynasty". In fact, there were rumors that Xiaoyu was unaware of the practicalities of daily life in the first half. Although the battle for supremacy in the second half was exciting enough, she did not completely let loose. However, there are too many smart people in the world. Yao Xiaoyu's carefully packaged strategy of "building high walls and storing up grain to delay the proclamation of kingship" was still seen through.
The current order is not good, but it has not completely collapsed. People who realized what dangerous content Yao Xiaoyu had written immediately regarded Yao Xiaoyu as a public enemy. Regardless of whether they liked the story or learned anything from it, no one wanted Yao Xiaoyu to live.
Those who mastered the art of dragon slaying did not want others to learn it. Those who learned the art of dragon slaying from Yao Xiaoyu did not want more people to master it. Although the articles they published could not be fully recovered due to the fame of a small fish, if Yao Xiaoyu died, no one would continue to explain their meaning. They could deliberately mislead the public and bury these books in the pile of old papers that no one would inquire about.
Although the "Don't talk about state affairs" paper in the teahouse is mostly nonsense, it becomes the best excuse when something really happens. From the moment the first newspaper article, "A small fish with a heart that can be killed, returning to the Ming Dynasty and shaking the foundation of the country," was published, invisible shackles were tied around his neck.
Fortunately, the Li family, mindful of past favors, extended a helping hand before the iron cage was fully woven, describing the still undefined "Back to the Ming Dynasty" as a mere fantasy, thus saving Yao Xiaoyu from disaster. She was unaware of the danger she had faced until she overheard a conversation among the people involved, at which point she belatedly realized that this was the Li family repaying a debt of gratitude.
Even if it's a life for a life, she saved the third young lady of the Li family, and the three sisters saved her in return. This favor or kindness has already been repaid, so why should she still be allowed to attend the birthday banquet?
"I cannot accept these."
Yao Xiaoyu resolutely pushed the box back. She just wanted to live her life peacefully and didn't want to get involved in trouble. Besides, greed is very annoying.
"They just want to talk to you."
Maria said that the three Li sisters were somewhat curious about Yao Xiaoyu's identity as a female writer, and they just happened to be there for her birthday party.
"I can talk to you, but I would feel uncomfortable going to your birthday party, and I really can't accept this."
Yao Xiaoyu's tone softened, but she still firmly pushed the box toward Maria. The clothes and jewelry inside were not cheap items; she could afford to pay for them, but that didn't stop Yao Xiaoyu from wanting to accept them.
She absolutely refused to attend the birthday party. While others were engaged in heated business negotiations, she was busy eating snacks.
If it were just a buffet, that would be fine, but the problem is that Yao Xiaoyu's luck in drawing cards is so bad that she can only guarantee a minimum reward. If anything goes wrong, she will definitely be implicated.
No, absolutely not!
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